500,000 crosses for WYD

Published: 26 February 2007

A Mary MacKillop outreach centre workshop has pulled out all stops in
an effort to meet a production target of 500,000 mini wooden crosses to
be handed out on the route of the World Youth Day cross which will soon
begin its journey around Australia.

The Sydney Morning Herald
reports that crosses to be produced by the Men's Shed at the Mary
MacKillop Outreach in Lewisham are to be handed out as the
3.8-metre-tall World Youth Day Cross, symbol of the world's largest
youth spiritual festival, criss-crosses the country in the lead-up to
next year's WYD.

"Every cross we make is a prayer," Cora Velasquez told the Herald as she sat beside her husband, Sim, on a modest production line creating the crosses.

The
task has become one more of faith than of labour for those on the
production line. Sim Velasquez used to be a financial controller. A
stroke two years ago left him unable to speak and with almost no use of
his left arm.

Since starting on the project, Mrs Velasquez says,
her husband has regained some control of his left hand, has become more
alert and responsive, and feels valued again.

They are
stronger now in faith, and after every day in the workshop visit St
Mary's Cathedral before heading to their Ashfield home.

"My
prayer has been heard because my husband is improving," Mrs Velasquez
said. "He feels very useful and for me that is a miracle. It has given
me hope that one day I will see him more independent."

Martin
James glued together the first cross, which will be given to Pope
Benedict XVI. "I had a stroke and went to Liverpool Hospital in a
helicopter," he said.

"I was in a place with two other people.
They both passed away. I knew God was looking after me in every sense.
I pray over the cross, that this cross captures people's hearts."

"The
easiest thing would have been to say let's go to China and get the
crosses produced for two cents each, but this is not what World Youth
Day is all about," Alice Priest, who is helping organise the WYD
cross's journey, added.

"The whole process is helping people to
understand what the whole event is all about. It's a powerful witness
to what the cross stands for: the cross is about transformation and
resurrection."